Fly Away Home
by cagiant246
Summary: AU. The Swans keep Emma even with having their own kids, but don't tell her she's adopted. Why? After their deaths questions arise and the truth is uncovered when the Swan kids move in with MM/David. Pre-teen Emma. The curse is enacted but slightly different. Lots of family stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Hi all! This is my first fan fiction, well any type of writing really so any feedback would be appreciated. The first few chapters will have some flashbacks, wether it be in this world or the Enchanted Forest. Those sections will be italicized. More recognizable characters like Snow/David/Gold/Regina will appear in later chapters. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of the characters you recognize from it.

* * *

Sad. Distraught. Confused. Angry. She tried to come up the best word she could for how she was feeling until it suddenly came to her. Lost. For the first time in her life she didn't know who she was or where to turn.

"Emma… Emma… Are you still with me?" Jean asked, clearly startling Emma out of her thoughts.

"Umm, yes sorry. You were talking about the couple we are going to be staying with, something about them in my parents' will." She replied as her mind began to wander again.

Her parents, is that who they still were to her. Of course they still were, they raised her and loved her, but they also lied to her. Everyday. She had so many questions that she wouldn't be able to ask them, so much of the truth to still discover.

"Correct. According to their will, a Mary Margaret and David Nolan have been appointed guardianship over you, your brother and sister in the event something should ever have happened to them." Jean said. "Do you know the relationship between them and your parents?"

Silence was the response and Jean glanced up from the paperwork to look at Emma and could tell the young girl was physically and emotionally exhausted. Emma hadn't said anything about not sleeping over the past couple of nights she had been under her care, but she could tell not much sleep had been had over the past few days. Her hair was braided but still a mess and bags had started to form under her lovely green eyes.

"How about we take a break and make some hot chocolate for everyone before we begin to pack up the rest of your things?" she asked.

"Sure," Emma simply replied. "I'll go get Noah and Kate."

She rose from the table slowly, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. The social worker couldn't help but feel for the girl. Her entire world had been turned upside down in the blink of an eye only a few days ago. The deaths of both parents and life altering news would be difficult for anyone to handle, let alone a twelve year old.

Emma entered Noah's room, where he and Kate drew pictures on some paper with markers. The art supplies were some of the few items that weren't packed away for the trip in the morning.

"Hey," Emma said as she cleared her throat. "Jean is making hot chocolate, do you guys want some?"

"Will there be cinnamon in mine?" Noah asked. "Just because you like it in yours doesn't mean that I like it in mine."

"You don't have to add it if you don't want to" she answered with a chuckle.

"Ok fine, I'll take some," he replied after he gave it a little bit of thought and placed the final touches on his drawing. He jumped up from the table and bumped it, which caused a marker to roll onto the floor.

"How about you Kate? Hot chocolate?" Emma asked warmly.

The girl just smiled and silently nodded. She got up and followed Noah to the kitchen. Kate hadn't spoken a word since the accident. After Jean told Emma that it was her way of dealing with her parents' deaths, she just accepted it. She knew that Kate would eventually open up when she was ready.

"I'll be right there," Emma said over her shoulder as she bent down to pick up the purple marker that had fallen earlier. As she placed it back down on the table she noticed Noah's drawing. It was a picture of their family, all five of them dressed like they were ready to go ice-skating. She swallowed back tears as she thought of the family activity that was planned for when their parents had gotten back from the store. It never happened.

She continued to stare at the innocent piece of art. The five figures were each drawn in a single color, their Mom was red, their Dad blue, Emma was purple, Kate was pink, and Noah had drawn himself in green. Emma recognized they were drawn in their favorite colors. The drawing brought up so many questions for her. Who was she really? Where was she from? Why hadn't they told her the truth?

She was pulled from her thoughts by her brother's shouts.

"Emma! Hurry up, it's getting cold!" Noah shouted, a slight tone in his voice that made her realize they had decided to wait for her so they could have their drinks together.

"I'm coming," she quickly replied and wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

She stood up from the table and took a glance around the room. All of their things had been packed up in boxes. Boxes similar to the one she found day's prior, the box that up ended her world even more than her parent's deaths.

* * *

_Three Days Earlier_

_She snuck off in the reception after the funeral. There were so many people she didn't know, people who were sorry. Sorry their parents had died. Sorry for their lack of relatives to take them in. Sorry they couldn't do more to help. It was noisy and she wanted silence._

_Emma found herself in her parents' room. It was untouched. Her dad's socks were near the bedside table, scrunched into two balls. Her mom's pearl necklace lay across the dresser, unclasped, ready to be worn. She turned and turned in one spot and took everything in. Warm tears threatened to spill over when she heard sniffled sobs from the closet._

_She gently opened the door and discovered Noah and Kate huddled against each other along the back wall. She slid to the floor and nudged her way between the two. Her arms wrapped around them and she began to hum the chorus of Angels by Robbie Williams, the song their mom would sing to them after a bad dream. They stayed there in the comfort of each other's embrace for a long while before they were discovered._

_A gentle knock on the open closet door alerted them to Jean's presence. The three looked up with red, puffy eyes and her heart broke._

_Noah found his voice first, "It smells like our mom in here. I wish we could stay here forever."_

_Jean blinked back her tears, "I know, but people are leaving and wish to pay their final respects. I think it would be best if you all came out to thank them."_

_The three nodded. Noah was the first up and helped Kate to her feet. Kate grabbed one of her mother's favorite scarves and wrapped it around her neck before she left the closet with Noah. Emma started to get up when a small brown box, not too much larger than a shoebox caught her eye in the corner of the closet. Written in block letters in black marker was _**EMMA**_._

_"Emma, I know this is difficult but you are the oldest and you need to be out there as well." Jean said in her warmest and gentlest tone._

_Emma looked up at her and responded with a nod; most of her focus still on the unknown box a few feet away from her. She stood up and exited her parents' room. She turned around suddenly and startled the social worker, "I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right down. I promise."_

_"Ok, but don't be too long" said Jean._

_She sidestepped the women and headed in the direction of the bathroom. With a quick glance over her shoulder she determined that the woman had gone back downstairs and she slipped back into her parents' bedroom._

_She hesitantly reached out for the box and picked it up. Gently she placed it on the bed, while her fingers curled around the edge of the lid, her imagination gone wild. She carefully opened the box and stared at the contents, her brain took its time to process what it saw._

_She picked up the soft, white fabric and let it unfurl onto the bed. She ran her fingers along the purple, satin ribbon and turned it over to discover her name embroidered in cursive along the edge. She picked it up, held it to her face and took a deep breath in. It smelled like the rest of the closet, like her mom, but there was also a subtle hint of pine needles._

_Her attention returned to the box, which only contained a collection of papers. The first were clippings of newspaper articles paper clipped together. Emma noticed the subject of all of them seemed to be about a 2-½ year old girl abandoned by the side of the road near Maine. She tossed them to the side and hoped she could read them later because Jean expected her down soon._

_Emma pulled her gaze from the articles and focused on two pieces of paper clipped together. She stared at them puzzled. Why were there two? She easily recognized them as birth certificates, but one was for a Jane Doe with Jane and John Doe as the parents, while the other was for her. Emma Swan with her parents, Rachel and Brian Swan. She continued to compare the two. She recognized multiple similarities in dates and places. She placed the papers outside the box along with the other contents._

_She glanced into the box and picked up the final piece of paper. Her brilliant green eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat, and her fingers tightened the paper, clenched on for dear life. The information clicked and three words on that paper stood out in her mind over and over, Certificate of Adoption._

_Adopted. Adopted. Adopted. She realized that she was adopted; her parents had hidden this from her. Questions clouded her mind and she started to cry. The last bit of sense in her life crashed down around her._


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

First off thank you to everyone that favorited, followed, and especially to those that reviewed my story. It means a lot to me so thanks again. This chapter has no flashback, it didn't fit the way I would have liked it to. There isn't too much happening but the next few chapters will have lots on the curse (although there is a bit of a hint in here to how the curse is different). Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Her mind moved at a thousand thoughts a minute. Laundry: finished. Groceries: bought. House: cleaned. Yard: mowed. She paced the kitchen and mindlessly shifted the items on the counter around.

"Ok, so the beds are all made and the light bulbs are all changed," said David as he lightly jogged down the stairs.

"Great" she replied as she cleared her throat and shook her head to ease her mind. "Did you open the windows? Because you know how stuffy it can get up there. Oh and is the bathroom all stocked? And…" Mary Margaret rambled quickly.

David walked over to his wife and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a light squeeze for reassurance. He knew how anxious she had been the past couple of days and wanted to slow her down.

"Hey, hey. It's going to be fine. Yes, the windows are open. And with three kids, I don't think the bathroom will ever be stocked up enough" he said with a grin. His last comment earned him a small laugh from Mary Margaret.

She took a deep, slow breath in and relaxed into his arms. He rubbed soothing circles on her back until she pulled away.

"It's just…" she spoke quietly, almost at a whisper. "It's just been a long time since a child has lived in this house."

David looked down at her to see that she had turned her gaze to the picture on the hallway table. It showed Mary Margaret and David each kissing the cheek of a little girl in the middle, one parent on either side. The little girl's eyes were squeezed shut, her blonde curls fell in her face, and she had a large grin that reached from ear to ear.

"You're right, it has been," he said as he walked past her and over to the table. He picked up the picture and gave a small smile as he recalled the day it was taken. It was one of his favorite days. A simple picnic in the park.

Mary Margaret followed him over after a moment and leaned her head against his shoulder. The contact pulled him from the memory and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He leaned back and she looked up into his eyes.

"It will be different, but we've done this before. These kids need us, and we're both ready to be there for them" he said as he grew more confident with every word.

She removed the photo from his grasp and took one last look at it before she opened the top drawer of the table and placed it inside.

"You're right, we are ready," she said as she closed the drawer.

With the bang of the drawer Mary Margaret snapped back to her previously anxious self. "Wait, but we're not ready. Did you straighten up the garage? The door on the upstairs laundry chute needs to be fixed. Oh, also the…" she muttered as she made her way up the stairs.

David only laughed and shook his head as he followed his wife upstairs. This was going to be a good thing, he felt it.

* * *

Jean drove, Noah and Kate slept, and Emma thought. She had done a lot of that the past few days. More and more questions popped into her head the longer she thought about it. Why had her parents kept it a secret? Who were her other parents? And the scariest of all, what now?

She stared out the passenger window and watched the cold, wet landscape pass by and continued to wonder. It seemed much clearer to her now how much she stood out from her family. Her bright green eyes in a family of brown ones. Her insatiable appetite for adventures outdoors in a family of homebodies.

After she found the box, she had asked Jean why her parents would have kept it hidden from her all that time. The older woman had no real answer for her, and Emma had appreciated the honesty.

"Jean?" she asked as she still stared out the window.

"Yeah" was the reply.

"Why can't we just continue to stay with you? We already know you. I don't ever remember even meeting these people before" she said with a glimmer of hope the woman would agree and turn the car around.

"I'm sorry Emma, but I have to follow your parents' wishes" she said as she took her eyes off the road to turn to the young girl that sat next to her. She could see her shoulders slump slightly and a solemn nod was all she got in response.

It was true the situation was a bit odd. She was still unsure of the exact relationship between the Swans and this couple. Jean had called the Nolan's to inform them of the Swan's deaths and let them know about their wishes in regards to the care of their children. Maybe it had been her, but she felt as if there was no recognition by the Nolan's. They had expressed their condolences, but in a manner someone would for a stranger. Nothing, no recollection until she mentioned Emma's name, which seemed to spark something inside of them. It was indeed strange, but she was just glad they agreed to take in the three children.

"The Nolan's seem like incredibly nice people. They have a nice house with plenty of room to run around. It even sits on the edge of the woods, and from what I've heard you like to explore," she said as she tried to show Emma it was the best option.

The only option, she silently thought in her head.

Noah and Kate stirred in the back and Jean looked in the rearview mirror to see their tired eyes had started to open.

"Hey there sleepy heads. Just in time. We've made it guys," she stated as they passed the light blue, oval sign that read Welcome to Storybrooke.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath in to settle her nerves. She shifted in her seat and adjusted the seatbelt so she could face Noah and Kate in the backseat. She was about to repeat to them what Jean had told her about the Nolan's, but stopped and watched them. Her two younger siblings lost in their own worlds.

Noah stared out the window and took in the town as he pointed at buildings and spoke to himself as they made their way down the main street. She heard bits and pieces of a story he had concocted in his head, something about dragons and knights. Kate had fogged up the window with her breath and had drawn hearts and smiley faces with her finger.

Their simple joys made Emma realize that everything would work out, that she would eventually find all the answers she needed. She turned back around in her seat as Jean pulled the car up to the curb. She closed her eyes once more and took in the last moment of silence before she faced the unknown.

"All right, everyone out," Jean said in a firm but upbeat tone. She hoped it would instill a bit of excitement in the kids. "Each of you grab your bag and we will come back out later for the boxes."

Emma, Noah, and Jean hopped out of the car right away. Jean opened the trunk of the car and Noah raced after her. He wanted to be a gentleman and help everyone with their bag. Emma walked over to Kate's door to help her out of the car, and once Kate had slipped out of the seat she immediately grabbed Emma's hand. She looked down at her sister and gave her a warm smile.

Noah handed out the rest of the bags and the trunk was closed. Jean made her way up to the front door, where she knocked and waited. Emma followed a few yards behind when she felt a small tap on her arm. Kate still held onto her hand so she knew it was Noah. She turned and set her bag down on the sidewalk.

"Emma?" Noah asked hesitantly with his head slightly hung. He had tried to act brave, like the man of the house was supposed to, but now that they had arrived he was more uncertain than ever.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she said as she reached out and lifted his chin so she could look into his eyes.

"What if…what if they don't like us?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't they, you are the most awesome boy I know" she replied. She turned to Kate, "And you are the cutest little girl I know," she said as she gave Kate a quick tickle on her stomach with her free hand. Kate giggled and pulled away from Emma's grasp. She returned her gaze to Noah, who still had an unconvinced look on his face. Emma tried again, "They would be crazy not to like you, but I'm sure if you drew them one of your amazing pictures, their minds would be made up for them. Your drawings are magical."

A smile slowly moved across his face and he nodded. He liked the idea of giving them a present.

All three of them turned towards the house as they heard the front door open. They stared at the couple that stood in the doorway.

The young woman had short black hair and wore a cream colored blouse under a dark cardigan with jeans. She stood slightly in front of the young man. He was taller, with sandy blonde hair and wore a red flannel shirt with jeans. Both had wide grins spread across their faces, their hands intertwined.

Emma picked up her bag and Kate took her hand again. Noah looked up at her and she gave him a smile and nod. "Let's go in," she said. Noah led the way up to the door, while Emma and Kate followed.

Emma squeezed Kate's hand a little before they reached the door; Mary Margaret did the same to David's.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Alright so it's a bit of a longer chapter so hopefully you don't mind. I'm really excited about this story and I hope you have been enjoying it so far. Thank you to all that have reviewed/followed/favorited I appreciate all the feed back. Happy reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of its characters.

* * *

She was a bundle of nerves. Hi. Hello. How do you do? Her head raced to find the best greeting as the kids approached the door.

Mary Margaret and David stepped back from the doorway and gestured for them to enter.

"Please come in. Welcome." Mary Margaret said simply as she ushered them in.

Mary Margaret and David looked at them and captured every detail they could as they passed by. Kate's pink shirt with Snow White on the front and unmatched shoes. Noah's curiosity and leadership. Emma's blonde curls and bright green eyes.

The three kids entered into the front hallway and stood huddled together, unsure of where to stand or look. Silence seemed to enter the room with them.

Jean followed them in and took charge of the conversation after the door shut behind her.

"Thank you. It's lovely to meet the both of you in person," she said as she broke the silence.

"The same to you," Mary Margaret replied as she pulled her eyes away from the kids.

"Well how about some introductions, this is Emma, Noah, and Kate," Jean said to Mary Margaret and David as she pointed to each of them. Kate slid behind Emma's leg at the mention of her name. "And, these are the Nolan's," she directed to the kids.

"It's very nice to meet all of you," David spoke up.

Noah stepped forward and shook David's hand, which caused all of the adults to smile. "It's very nice to meet you as well Mr. Nolan," Noah said, as proper and well behaved as he could.

David chuckled, "Please call me David."

"And me Mary Margaret," the young woman chipped in.

The three nodded and more silence arrived.

"Well," David said enthusiastically as he lightly clapped his hands together. "How about I show you your rooms so you can get settled?" He motioned towards the stairs.

"Sure that'd be great, " Emma said as she picked her bag up and hoisted it onto her shoulder. She moved Kate in front of her and kept her hand on her shoulder. Emma gave her a nudge and they followed David up the stairs, Noah brought up the rear.

The house was larger than it appeared. A long hallway stretched the length of it, with four bedrooms and a bathroom branched off from it. David waited for all of them to make it up the stairs before he showed them each their room.

The first room was directly off the stairs, just to the right. He pushed the already open door a bit further. "Kate this is your room," he said and he looked down at the little girl. Kate hesitantly walked in first, Emma and Noah stood in the doorway.

The room was open and light from the two large windows. One had a window seat underneath it with some books laid on it. The walls were painted light pink and the bed had cream-colored bedding. Kate walked over to the bed and set her bag down.

"Do you like it?" David asked nervously.

Kate turned around with large eyes and nodded eagerly before she turned back and took in more of the room. "It's her favorite color," Emma added.

David let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. "Great, well how about we show Noah and Emma their rooms as well?" All of them exited Kate's room into the hallway.

"This is our room," David pointed out the next door they passed on the right. "And here we have the upstairs bathroom. And Noah, this will be your room."

Noah took charge and pushed the door open. The walls were painted a royal blue, the bed had a gray comforter on it, and a sizable oak desk sat underneath the single, large window. "This is awesome," Noah exclaimed as he placed his bag on the bed. Kate followed him in and began to explore.

David turned to Emma, "How would you like to see your room now?" he asked. Emma looked over at Noah and Kate, who seemed engrossed in a puzzle on his desk, and saw them occupied. She turned to David and nodded, "Sure."

The two entered back into the hallway and David stopped at the next door. Emma noticed he took a deep breath in before he pushed it open. He moved out of the way and Emma walked by and entered her room.

Her room was the largest of the three. The walls were a light yellow and the bed was situated in the middle of the wall with pale green covers. Emma's eyes locked on the beautiful, round window directly over the bed that gave a view of the woods below.

"It's beautiful. Thank you," she said as she turned towards David.

She noticed his eyes were glassy and he swallowed hard before he replied.

"I'm glad you like it," he said. "Will you guys be alright if I head back downstairs?"

"Yeah. I'll help them with their things," she answered.

"Ok, great. Well if you do need anything please don't hesitate to ask either on of us," he said.

She nodded and he left the room. She continued to look around and took in everything. She noticed all of the detail that had been put in to make her feel at home. Emma set her bag on the floor and began to head towards the door when her eyes caught something on the bed.

In the middle, against the bedding, lay a small decorative pillow. She walked over, picked it up, and felt the fabric beneath her fingers. There was no doubt in her mind that the soft, white wool was the same fabric the blanket she just found was made of.

Initially she furrowed her brow, puzzled as to why the Nolan's would have something of the exact same material, but the more she thought about it, the more she concluded it was a coincidence. It was only fabric, probably mass-produced.

She set the pillow back down and headed down the hall to help Noah and Kate get settled in. It was strange to her, but the place already felt like home.

* * *

When David took the kids upstairs, Jean and Mary Margaret made their way to the kitchen. Mary Margaret threw on a pot of coffee and Jean took a seat at the table. When the coffee was ready Mary Margaret brought two mugs over and sat down across from the other woman.

"Thank you," Jean said.

"Oh, you're welcome," Mary Margaret replied. "Can I get you any milk or sugar?"

"No, no this is fine. And thank you for not only this, but for taking Emma, Noah and Kate in. They are wonderful kids and I can only imagine what it might have been like for them if you hadn't. So thank you." Jean said as she looked at Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret could tell from Jean's eyes just how much she cared about them and wanted to reassure her that she and David cared equally.

"It's not a problem. From the small amount I've seen they are amazing and we are glad we can help them. David and I really want to make this place a home for them," said Mary Margaret as she sipped her coffee.

Jean took a sip of her own coffee and nodded. "I can tell you want this to work so let me tell you a bit about them so you kind of understand what they're going through."

Mary Margaret gave a small smile. Jean was about to continue when David entered the kitchen. "They're upstairs getting settled," he stated as he pulled out a chair next to his wife.

"Great. Jean was just about to tell us about them," Mary Margaret replied. David nodded and turned his gaze to Jean.

"Yes I was," she said. "Let's start with Kate. It's been difficult to gauge how much her parents' deaths have affected her. At five, I'm not sure how much she has grasped about them not coming back. It's also been tough because she hasn't spoken a word since they died."

Mary Margaret and David both stammered at the information, unsure of what to say. "Umm, is there anything we need to do to help her?" Mary Margaret finally managed to ask.

"Just treat her like you normally would. She is very bright and given time she will eventually talk when she feels like it," Jean explained. Mary Margaret and David visibly relaxed.

"Noah's nine, so he's at the age of trying to be brave, strong, and manly no matter what, but sooner or later he's going to need someone to turn to. He's very kind and respectful so behavior shouldn't be an issue. He also loves to draw and that may help him to cope with some of this," Jean went on.

Mary Margaret and David continued to listen intently and absorbed all the new information.

"And finally Emma. She's had the roughest past few days. Along with dealing with her parents' deaths, she has been struggling with who she is and where she belongs," Jean said. Mary Margaret and David gave her a confused look and she went on.

"She discovered the other day that she was adopted by the Swans and that they never told her. Naturally she has tons of questions she wants answers to. Being the oldest she has tried to carry all of this herself, but now maybe you two can help her with some of it. Help find some answers with her," she suggested.

"Yes, of course," they both replied in unison with a genuinely concerned tone to their voices.

It was then that they heard the three of them come down the stairs. Jean stood up as the arrived in the kitchen.

"All right guys well I need to get going, how about we grab those boxes and I'll head on out," Jean said to the kids.

They nodded and everyone walked out to the front. David and Mary Margaret grabbed the boxes and put them inside the house. Jean gave Noah and Kate each a hug and small goodbye. She lastly came to Emma and gave her a large hug. When she pulled back she took the girl's face in her hands and saw the welled tears in her eyes.

"Emma, you are going to find all you are looking for, I can feel it, " Jean said as she gave her a big smile and wiped away a single tear that had slid down the girl's cheek. "I don't think you'll need it, but here is my card if you ever do need anything. The Nolan's want to help so turn to them. Let them care for all of you. The three of you deserve the best. Goodbye Emma."

"Bye Jean," she squeaked out as the woman got in her car and pulled away. Emma watched as the car drove down and street and turned out of sight.

She went back into the house and saw that David and Noah had begun to unpack everything in the living room. Kate ran up to her and grabbed her hand and the two walked into the kitchen. Mary Margaret hung up the phone as the girls walked up to the island.

"Well ladies I just ordered some pizza, so how about we find something to do?" she said just as a loud crash came from the living room. "Like helping out David and your brother." Emma laughed and Mary Margaret's face brightened.

They all went to the living room and everyone began to relax. The rest of the evening was spent eating, unpacking and organizing, and becoming comfortable.

After the long day the kids freely got ready for bed. Mary Margaret and David peeked their heads into each of their rooms to let them know that if they needed anything to feel free to ask. They headed back downstairs to turn everything off and relax on the couch.

"Well we survived day one," David joked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"How about that?" she said lightly as she leaned into him and recalled the day.

They continued to sit in silence for a while longer before Mary Margaret spoke up. "Come on Hun let's go up to bed before we fall asleep here on the couch. I want to check on the kids one more time as well."

The two got up from the couch and quietly made their way up the stairs. They gently opened the door to Kate's room and peeked inside. Mary Margaret's face fell and heart rate rose just a bit when they didn't see Kate in her bed.

They walked over to Noah's room and became more panicked when they found his bed empty was well.

They rushed to Emma's door and opened it as quickly and quietly as they could. Two sighs of relief were let out when they saw the three of them piled on Emma's bed asleep under a mess of covers.

They shut the door and Mary Margaret looked up into David's eyes, a smile spread across her face. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. The two walked back to their room hand in hand. Both undeniably content.

* * *

_They raced through the empty halls and peeked through every unlocked door into the corresponding room. They had searched the last ten minutes everywhere they could think of in the castle. Snow and David searched for something, well someone to be exact._

"_I swear David, this child will be the death of me," Snow said. She sounded exasperated, but David could tell it was said with love, and a hint of worry. "She gets all of this from you," she said, the playful quip directed and him._

"_Hey, not fair. If I recall correctly, it was you that insisted Red show her how to find a hiding place," he jested back._

"_Yes, but it was meant to teach her how to hide from Regina, not from us," Snow responded, her voice just a bit more panicked than before._

_They turned the corner and let out a sigh of relief. In the middle of the hallway they found her. Their little girl. She ran in a zigzag from wall to wall, and periodically went to the middle and spun around, which made her nightgown twirl around her. _

_She stopped for a moment to cover a yawn and caught sight of them. "Mommy! Daddy!" she squealed as she ran to them. Snow knelt down and wrapped her arms around her daughter as Emma launched herself towards Snow. She stood up with Emma still in her arms and spun around once before she set the little girl back down. _

"_What are you doing munchkin? Why aren't you still tucked in bed?" David asked as he took one of her hands in his. Emma held out her other hand and waited for Snow to take it. They all turned to head back down the hall the way Snow and David had come from._

"_No sleepy. Go play outside," she said as she pulled her hands away from her parents to stifle another yawn._

_Snow and David looked at one another and shared a small smile. She had them wrapped around her finger. As much as Snow and David wanted to be upset with her because she snuck off, they couldn't help but admire her adventurous spirit._

"_I think someone is sleepy and that they need to go to bed," he replied as he picked her up and she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. A small shake of the head was the only protest he received. _

_They made their way back to Emma's room and Snow gently pushed open the large oak doors. Emma was all but asleep on David's shoulder as he walked across the room and laid her down on the bed._

_Emma made one more plea as she snuggled into the pillow, "No sleepy."_

_David pulled the covers up to her chin and sat down on the bed next to her. He brushed a curl out of her face and quietly compromised with her, "How about tomorrow we have a picnic out in the garden?" He got nothing but a soft snore in response._

_He smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Emma," he said as he stood up from the bed and made room for Snow._

_She leaned over her daughter and whispered into her ear, "I love you with all my heart." Then pressed a kiss to her forehead. Snow straightened and took in all the features of her daughter's face, from her light freckles scattered across her nose to the smudge of dirt that somehow ended up by her ear._

_She turned from the bed and David placed his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him and the two quietly exited Emma's room. They walked down the hall in silence a bit before Snow spoke up._

"_You know somehow she is going to remember you promised her a picnic," she said._

_David chuckled, "I know, and I'm looking forward to it."_

_The two looked into each other's eyes and simply glowed. Both immensely happy. They leaned towards each other and placed their lips together in a soft, tender kiss._

"_How charming," an icy voice boomed from behind them._

_They split from one another immediately and turned towards the direction of the intruder. Fifteen feet away stood the Evil Queen dressed in a menacing black outfit, hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were dark, but there was a glint of something in them. Revenge._

"_Regina," Snow snapped. "What are you doing here?" she asked fiercely, her mind turned to Emma only a few rooms away._

"_Is that any way to talk to your step-mother?" she asked as she feigned insult. "Besides, I've been on my best behavior the past couple of years, so no need to get snippy."_

_It was true. There had been talk of a curse, preparations had even been made to try and stop her, but after Emma had been born Regina simply vanished. Rumors of the curse went with her. No one looked for her. No one wanted to find her._

"_You still haven't answered the question. What are you doing here?" David growled as he stepped in front of Snow to shield her from any possible attack._

"_Yes, let's skip the pleasantries and get down to it. I'm here to finally enact the curse you two have been so concerned about," she stated matter of factly with a cold, cruel smirk on her face._

_Snow and David's expressions went from angry to dismay. He quickly turned his head to glance down to Snow, his eyes widened when he met hers, and then refocused on Regina._

"_Oh you didn't think that because I left the curse would never happen, did you?" she said with a wicked laugh. "You see I learned years ago that what's worse than having your happy ending ripped from you, is having a glimpse of what it would have been like before it's taken away suddenly."_

_Snow and David stood frozen; tears welled in their eyes. There was no way out, no way to stop her magic. They weren't prepared with anything._

"_I had a glimpse at my happy ending with Daniel, a couple years of joy. So that's all you're going to get, a glimpse. I hope you cherished all your time as a family. You've had enough happiness Snow, now it's my turn," Regina finished as she disappeared into a thick cloud of purple smoke._

_The smoke started to spread through the hall. Snow and David looked at one another, both with the same thought on their mind. "Emma!" they both yelled at the same time._

_They turned and ran down the hall; Snow one step ahead of David, the smoke on their heels. They reached the door, Snow's hand pushed against it when the smoke engulfed them. All went dark._


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Hey everyone, here's the next chapter. I'm trying my best to be as realistic as possible to their adjustment to living with one another but if you think it's too fast or too slow please let me know. I promise more heartfelt scenes to come, but again the kids and MM/David don't know each other very well yet. Loved writing Regina in this chapter so I hope you enjoy. If you have any questions please feel free to ask, I have so much running around in my head I could have easily glazed over something. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, any of its characters, or any other recognizable shows and characters.

* * *

His eyes shot open, sweat pooled on his forehead, breaths rapid and shallow, and his heart raced. The nightmare that haunted him no longer played in his mind, but the pain remained. David thought that after years of the same nightmare it would have started to hurt less, but it tore the wound open fresh every time.

He glanced over at the clock on the bedside table. It read 6:36 am. He closed his eyes in hopes to get a few more minutes of sleep before Mary Margaret got up and the day began.

That is when he heard it. The pattering and shuffling of little feet in the hall followed by a soft giggle then louder hushes. He smiled and cherished the sound. He tried to imagine the three kids as they clumsily made their way down the hall and his heart swelled with joy.

David opened his eyes and turned to wake Mary Margaret so she could take in the wonderful moment with him, but as his eyes fell on her already wide grin he knew she already heard it. With her eyes still closed Mary Margaret felt David's gaze upon her, "It's magical isn't it?" she asked. She didn't expect an answer, nor did she really want one.

She finally opened her eyes and turned towards him. She could tell from his disheveled appearance that he hadn't slept well, but it seemed to be out of his mind at that moment.

"Think we should go out there with them?" he asked.

"Let's give them some time to just be with each other. Besides, they seem very determined not to disturb us, and I have an idea of what we could do to pass the last few minutes of alone time this morning." She grinned and pressed a kiss to his lips.

They descended the stairs a little while later and made their way to the living room. David leaned against the doorjamb, Mary Margaret stood in front of him; the two silently watched the scene before them.

Noah lay on the ground on his stomach, head in his hands, his legs kicked in the air. Emma and Kate were huddled on the couch under a light blanket. Kate's head was barely visible over the couch, and Emma's pointed downward to her lap, to what Mary Margaret assumed was a book. An old episode of Scooby-Doo played on the television.

"See, I told you Kate. It wasn't a real werewolf, it was just the football coach," Noah said as the monster was unmasked. "Emma, I'm kind of hungry, do you think they have any cereal?" he asked, eyes still glued to the television as the next episode started.

At that comment Mary Margaret took a step forward and cleared her throat while David stood upright. "Good Morning," she said in a gentle, warm manner, which alerted the kids to their presence.

Emma, Noah, and Kate turned around startled. Noah quickly grabbed the remote from the table and turned off the television, while Emma shut her book and set it on the couch. "Sorry, we weren't sure when you would be up and…" Emma trailed off as her eyes broke contact with them.

It took all of David's will power to conceal the sadness he felt from showing on his face. He thought he and Mary Margaret had made good progress the night before to make them feel welcome and at home with the couple, but a single night's sleep seemed to erase most of it.

"Hey, hey it's completely okay. It's your home now too and we want you to feel comfortable doing what you'd like here," David reassured.

"Is this something you guys normally do? Watch Saturday morning cartoons?" Mary Margaret asked. The three nodded silently. "Well I don't know the last time I watched cartoons so why don't we turn them back on. And I believe I heard that someone was hungry. Now, normally David and I go to Granny's for breakfast on Saturday mornings, but how about I whip us up some pancakes here so we can really enjoy Scooby and the gang."

Her idea was met with enthusiastic nods from Noah and Kate. "Yeah that would be great," Emma responded. Mary Margaret beamed.

"Any takers on helping out in the kitchen?" she asked.

Noah and Emma both respectfully declined. Noah eager to get back to the next episode and Emma back to her book. Kate looked over to Mary Margaret, whose soft, warm eyes watched her, then up to Emma.

"You can go if you want Kate," Emma encouraged as she could clearly tell her sister wanted to.

Mary Margaret held out her hand and Kate walked across the room and hesitantly took it. She looked up at the woman and was met with a smile. Mary Margaret gave Kate's hand a gentle squeeze as they headed to the kitchen and she felt the girl move a bit closer to her side.

The two returned from the kitchen a short time later. Mary Margaret carried a large plate of chocolate chip pancakes with extra plates and utensils, while Kate carried a bottle of syrup. Flour was streaked above Kate's right eyebrow and the sight made everyone grin.

"Breakfast is served ladies and gentlemen, made by chef Kate here," Mary Margaret announced. Kate's smile widened as she was given credit for the pancakes.

Emma and Noah had wide eyes with a bewildered expression on their faces.

"Wait, we can eat out here?" Noah asked, unable to believe what he saw.

Mary Margaret couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. She had gotten the same wide eyes from Kate when she initially told her as well.

"Yes you really can. Now everyone help yourselves before they get cold."

No one needed to be told twice, and in a matter of moments everyone had a plate full of pancakes. Emma helped Kate cut hers into pieces and they all began to eat while Scooby-Doo played in the background.

Breakfast was full of light conversation. David told many stories of the animals he worked with, the kids shared their many likes and dislikes, and Mary Margaret chipped in a joke here and there.

After breakfast was finished Kate curled back up on the couch with the blanket and promptly fell asleep. David took Noah into the garage to see if he would be interested in fixing up the old bicycle that was stored out there. Mary Margaret volunteered to clean the dishes and Emma followed her into the kitchen.

Emma let out a soft chuckle, as she couldn't believe how disastrous the kitchen looked. There was flour everywhere and a large number of bowls and utensils were strewn across the top of this island.

"Do you have a sponge and some paper towels I could use?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret handed her a soapy sponge and a roll of towels. "Thanks for helping."

"Sure. The three of us normally help clean up with our parents…" she trailed off, her eyes filled with tears. She turned towards the island and wiped them away.

"Oh, Emma," Mary Margaret whispered. She walked over to her and gently placed her hand on Emma's shoulder. "It's alright to talk about them, to remember them. You love them, and they love you. Even though they aren't here anymore they still live in memories and stories and in you, Noah, and Kate. They will always be with you, carried in your heart. David and I are always going to be here for the three of you as well. You can turn to us whenever you need to, whether you want to talk about them or just need help with math homework, we will always be here."

She could feel Emma's body heave and knew she was trying to hold back sobs. She rubbed her hand in large circles around Emma's back. She stopped when she felt the girl's body calm and pull away from her.

"Thank you," Emma said as she looked to Mary Margaret with red, puffy eyes.

"You're welcome." She smiled and started to clean the dishes once Emma returned her focus to the mess on the island.

The two worked in silence until most of the kitchen was clean and simply enjoyed the other's company. Emma moved over to the sink with Mary Margaret to help dry the dishes. Although the silence wasn't uncomfortable, Mary Margaret wanted to get Emma to talk, to bring up a lighter topic.

"I saw you had a book earlier, what are you reading?" she inquired.

"The Secret Garden," she replied.

Mary Margaret became lost in her thoughts as she recalled the plot of the story. A young girl's parents die, she is shipped off to live with a distant relative and finds a key that ultimately leads to her happiness. She knew there was more to it than that, but couldn't help draw some similarities between the major points of the story and Emma's life. She and David would make sure Emma, and Noah and Kate, all found their keys as well.

"Mary Margaret… Mary Margaret," Emma spoke louder the second time.

"Hmm" she mumbled as she shook her head and looked over to Emma.

"I think that bowl is clean," she said as she motioned to the bowl Mary Margaret had mindlessly scrubbed clean.

"Yes, I do believe you're right," Mary Margaret replied as she handed it off to Emma to be dried. She focused her thoughts and continued, "Well if you'd like we could stop by the library today. We need to go out and get you all school supplies for Monday, and the library is on the way back."

Emma placed a dish in the cupboard and replied, "Yeah, sure if it's on the way home."

Mary Margaret froze and looked over to her. Emma continued to put the dishes away, and seemed unaware of her word choice, but Mary Margaret picked it out immediately. Home. Of course it was most likely a slip of the tongue she thought, but she chose to view it as a step in the right direction. She smiled as the warm feeling of joy filled her entire body.

Emma caught Mary Margaret's reaction out of the corner of her eye and knew she had heard it. It was all brand new but there was a sense of comfort she got from the place, from the people. This was their home now. Her home.

* * *

She walked down the main street, her heels clicked loudly on the pavement, as if to warn anyone near of her presence. Steam from her coffee rose into the air. It  
warmed her throat with every sip, but did nothing to warm her cold, dark eyes. It was just like ever other Saturday morning, but it wasn't. She could feel something different.

Regina crossed the street and began her internal countdown. 5…4…3…2…1. She waited a bit longer before she came to a stop and looked around. Her day was usually kick started by her blatant disregard for Dr. Hopper's timid greeting, but he and his mutt were nowhere in sight.

She continued down the street and her brow furrowed more and more with each discrepancy she noticed. Marco successfully hung his sign above a storefront, his pride swelled at his achievement. Leroy, the town grump, whistled joyfully down the street. Ruby didn't bite Granny's head off at her suggestion, but instead the two spoke civilly outside the diner.

Yes, something was definitely wrong she thought as she came to a stop in front of the diner. Regina peered inside and noticed Mary Margaret and David were not in their normal booth, and she knew. She knew they were somehow behind all the changes. She wasn't sure how they were all able to break free of the routine, but she was determined to put everyone back to their miserable selves.

The door to the library swung open and caught her eye. She spotted them. Her "charming" husband held open the door as the petite woman exited, but just as soon as she accepted the scene she was taken aback.

A small little girl with light brown hair held onto her hand and an older boy followed right behind. The boy said something that made David throw his head back and laugh. Regina narrowed her eyes and glowered from a distance.

She went from angry to shocked to enraged in a matter of moments. The last member of the Nolan's group exited the building and Regina instantly recognized the long blond curls and fair complexion.

"No," she uttered, her tone a mixture of hate, disbelief, and worry.

She turned in the opposite direction and stormed down the street. She knew who was responsible for the changes, for the curse beginning to break, for bringing everyone a bit of happiness, and she was determined to stop it. The curse would not be broken. There was someone she needed to speak to.

* * *

_Storybrooke, 10 years ago_

_Her heal got stuck in the mud again and she let out a sigh of frustration. She was supposed to be happily watching their misery, not trekking through the woods, Regina thought to herself. _

_The tone of her voice hid nothing about her attitude towards her situation. "Graham we've been out here for over twenty minutes. I thought dirt, trees, and… nature were your expertise. You had better not be leading me on a wild goose chase," she complained, her words dripped with disgust._

"_Trust me Madame Mayor, I wouldn't have brought you out here if I wasn't sure your attention was required," he responded._

"_My first day out of the Enchanted Forrest and I end up back in one," she mumbled under her breath. "Alright," she spoke up, "well let's hurry this along."_

"_Here," he pointed to a snapped twig near a small, fresh footprint. "I knew I heard something earlier when I was out here. This way, we're close."_

_Regina decided to test her handiwork. "What were you doing out here in the first place?" she asked a small smirk on her face as she knew he wouldn't be able to recall._

_Graham came to a stop as he racked his brain to remember. "You know to be honest I'm not entirely sure, must have been patrolling, but I'm glad I was because from the size of these footprints, I think it's a child that's lost out here."_

_As if on cue a small whimper came from behind a tree ten feet away from them. The two slowly walked over and around the tree to see a little girl huddled at the base of it. Tears streaked down her face, a blanket held up to her mouth, her blonde curls wild and messy. _

"_Oh joy, it's crying," Regina remarked. Graham shot her a look and knelt down to the ground and began to inch towards the girl. She noticed the movement and tried to back further into the tree._

"_It's okay, my name is Graham. I'm a friend," he said softly as he held out his hand to ease her fear. She just shook her head and stayed where she was._

_Regina let out a large, annoyed sigh, "This is getting us no where," she directed at Graham. She turned to the little girl, "What's your name?" she asked with no compassion. "Come on, speak up," she added when she got no reply._

"_Regina!" he scolded. "She's just a child. You can't talk to her like that and expect a response." He returned his attention back to the child._

_She glared back at him. He was lucky she didn't have her magic anymore._

_Unexpectedly the little girl spoke up, "Emma," she whispered._

_Graham smiled, "Emma. That's such a pretty name." She smiled at his compliment and stuck her hand out so he could take it._

_After a moment Regina's eyes went wide when she realized the identity of the child in front of her. She quickly replaced her look of shock back to that of annoyance as to not raise suspicion from Graham._

_He stood up, Emma's hand in his and faced Regina. "Well I had better take her over to the station so we can get her back to where she belongs."_

_As he began to walk past her Regina blocked his path._

"_No, no I'll take care of this. I am the mayor, and like you said, this situation clearly requires my attention." She took Emma's hand from his and pulled her close to her side. Graham gave her a weary look but complied and gave Emma a smile before he walked past them to lead the way back to town._

_Regina looked down at Emma and began to make a list of people she would need to recruit to make sure the little girl never returned to Storybrooke. Sydney Glass, Dr. Hopper, and Gold if she must._

_A sniffle pulled her from her scheme. "Don't cry Emma. I'll find you a mommy and daddy," she tried to say nicely, but it came out cold and eerie._

_She added under her breath, "After all, my happiness and this curse rests on your happy ending." _


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: So this took me longer than I thought. I had a long debate with myself if I wanted to give this much information out on the curse this early, but I realized we are on the fifth chapter already and I'd like to give you guys some more answers before more questions. This whole chapter is on the curse with Regina and Rumpel. There were a few questions about the will and why MM/David were able to be together, so hopefully they have been answered. Now more family stuff can begin. YAY! Please enjoy and if you'd like to leave a review I always appreciate them.

Note there are two mild curse words in this chapter, nothing I deem terrible. Also don't know if the show said how long Daniel and Regina were together but for this story it's going to be what I mention in the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT

* * *

He ran his fingers over the detailed gold lettering of the leather bound book, and a small charge ran through him. He gently opened it and flipped through the delicate pages, the stories jumped off the page through the pictures. It was worn and tattered but not beyond repair, and he intended to have it fixed by the time their new resident needed it.

He gathered the book up from the table and placed it in the vault that was built into the wall. The last thing he needed was for it to fall into the wrong hands and never get to its intended recipient. The book was locked up and the vault concealed by some of the numerous trinkets he possessed in his shop; a chipped tea cup, a sliver fork, a glass slipper, and a paper lantern to name a few were placed directly in front of it.

The bell at the front of his shop rang loudly as the front door hit it and then slammed back against the wall. A loud clattering of heels on the hardwood floor immediately followed, along with a few clashing bangs.

A desperate and angry shout came from the front of the shop, "Gold!" He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and opened them with his exhale. He had known this was coming. He adjusted his tie, grabbed his cane, and slowly limped to the front room where his impatient guest waited.

She paced around the shop from display case to counter and back, as if the motion would release some of her pent up fury, but it only seemed to fuel it. Her mind stuck on how; how had she come back to Storybrooke? How had she ended up with Mary Margaret and David? How had she begun to break the curse? With each question her mind slipped further into her plot to end their happiness, to end her. She didn't even notice him enter the room as she slammed her fist against the glass case.

"Regina. Shall I move some things, make a bit of room for your rage?" Gold asked in a calm tone he knew would anger her even more.

"You," she spat as she pointed her finger at him, it shook involuntarily from the hatred that flowed through her. "You are responsible for this, I know it."

"I'm afraid you're going to need to be a bit more specific," he responded to the accusation.

"You're the reason she's back. You did something all those years ago to insure she'd return. What did you do?" Regina ranted.

"Again dearie, you must be more specific. Who is it we are talking about?" he asked. She caught a glint in his eye and she knew he was aware of exactly who she meant.

"You imp! You know exactly whom I'm talking about. Emma. Emma Swan."

He knew his previous expression had given him away, but he still brought his hand up to his chin, looked up to the ceiling, and pretended to rifle through his thoughts. He took his time, and every agonizing second that passed he watched as her tolerance for his games grew thinner and thinner.

Just as she was about to break due to the silence he shot his hand in the air with his finger pointed, "Ah yes, Miss Swan. Lovely she made her way back to Storybrooke. Must be staying with her parents while she's in town then?" A mischievous grin made its way onto his face as he prodded her a bit more. He liked reversing the tables on her, seeing her squirm instead.

"Actually no. Her parents apparently died last week in a crash of some sorts," she stated annoyed. Such an inconvenience she added silently in her thoughts.

She had stopped by Sydney Glass' office on her way over to dig up any information she could on the Swan family. He had been curious as to why her interest had suddenly returned to the girl, as the last time she spoke to him about Emma had been when she told him to write those phony articles about her abandonment ten years prior. She ranted to him about minding his own business. It was then that Regina found out about the Swans and their unfortunate accident, it was then that she realized what was going to happen if she didn't put a stop to it soon.

"No, Emma and her siblings are apparently staying with Mary Margaret and David Nolan," Regina continued. She started to lean forward, slightly over the counter to try and regain some of the authority in the conversation.

"What an interesting arrangement. So nice the Swans and Nolan's were such good friends that Mary Margaret and David would take in their children," he replied. He ignored her change in posture and his focus shifted to straightening a few of the pens sitting on the counter.

"Cut the crap! We both know the Swans never knew who Mary Margaret and David were, so what did you do?" she said forcefully, demanding his attention.

He looked back up to her unamused and decided to tell her just enough to get her to leave. "I believe you recall those adoption papers you had me quietly draw up with those iron-clad stipulations."

"Of course," she said dryly.

"Yes, well, the Swans were very impressed with that contract and sought out my services a little while later. Being the young couple they were with a new little one, they didn't have a will and wanted to ensure she was taken care of, so I drafted them one."

Gold glanced up to the clock above the door and began to move out from the counter. He walked right by Regina's icy stare to the front of the store near the window before he turned around and faced her.

He took one moment more before he continued, "In between all the legal jargon and clauses that filled their will, I may have taken a few…liberties in assigning guardianship over Emma and any of their future children. Which now seems like a good thing because as I understand they have no other family…" he didn't get to finish.

"Stop!" Regina interrupted. "You put Mary Margaret and David, two complete strangers to them, in their will?"

"I believe that's what I've just spent some time explaining to you," he replied while he held back a snarky response about having her ears cleaned.

"And those imbeciles just signed it," she muttered. She moved towards the door and stood directly in front of him, the two only inches apart. "Why?" she asked in a calm and curious tone that he could tell masked the inner frustration just below the surface.

He pretended to contemplate and answer before he replied. "Not telling," he taunted, a small pause after each word added a sense of finality to his side of the conversation.

"You will…" she angrily started to yell but was cut off by the chimes and chirps of multiple clocks that hung from the walls of the shop.

"Well look at that," he began after all the noise stopped. "It looks like it's three o'clock already, which means my shop is now closed," He opened the door and extended his arm out in an exiting motion.

After a short standoff, Regina finally began to move towards the door. She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder.

"I will find out why you brought her back. We are not finished."

"Oh but we are dearie," he replied.

He began to close the door and she backed away from him. As she was about to turn and walk down the street, Gold called out, "Madame Mayor." She spun around and glared.

"A word of advice, next time you make a deal, be sure to hold up your end of it. Maybe if you had you wouldn't be in this mess." With that he slammed the door to his shop shut and locked it, leaving Regina stunned. Was he aware?

Regina regained her composure and stormed down the street to her office, her mind already coming up with a plan. Everyone needed Emma Swan for something. Gold needed her for who knows what, Mary Margaret and David needed her to maintain their new happiness, the whole town needed her but didn't know it, and Regina needed Emma gone.

* * *

_Enchanted Forrest, 13 years ago_

_She had carried out plans before, but they had all failed. Some miserably, while other times her nemesis and her charming prince had been lucky to escape. This was her last chance. Her final shot to get the revenge she so desperately desired, and as much as she hated to turn to him, she hated Snow White even more._

_She quietly made her way through the maze of dark and damp tunnels. Water trickled down from the ceiling, the drops collected into puddles on the ground. The air was muggy and stifling and she began to regret her wardrobe choice of a heavy black cloak._

_She came to a stop when she reached the dead end. A uniform row of stalactites stood before her, alternating from rising up from the floor and hanging down from the ceiling, creating the bars of a cell. Although it was dark, she could spot a figure slumped in the corner, his head hung down looking to his lap._

"_Well, well dearie. To what do I owe the pleasure? This must be very important for the Queen to personally grant me a visit," he said loudly. His voice had a cackle to it that echoed off the surrounding walls._

"_Oh how the mighty have fallen Rumpelstiltskin. You know this look works for you, caged like the monster you really are," Regina retorted._

"_Tsk, tsk did I not teach you anything about respecting those with the upper hand," he said. "You see, I may be behind these bars, but I must have something you want. So throwing insults at me will get you nowhere." Upon her silence he rose from his spot on the ground and moved up to the bars, getting as close to her as he could._

_She just stared back at him and wondered if making a deal with him was the best plan._

"_That's about as far as my mind reading capabilities reach though, so you're going to have to ask for whatever you came for. Oh but let me take a few guesses. You came here for a potion that turns your enemies into bugs? No, no too simple. Ah, you're here for a barrier spell, keep those pesky revolts away from your castle, hmm. So what's it to be?"_

_Her mind brought up images of Daniel and replayed some of her most cherished memories of him and a rare, sincere smile appeared on her face. It was quickly erased as darker memories began to flood her thoughts and she knew a deal with him was the only way she would be able to get what she wanted._

"_Those are too trivial. No, I want the curse," she stated, her voice determined and demanding._

"_Which curse are we talking about? There are handfuls of memory curses, a couple of physical dismemberment ones, there's a…" Rumpel was cut off._

"_No, I want THE curse," she interrupted before he could become lost in his rambling. "I want the curse that will take away all their happiness. I want the curse that will make them feel like I have for all these years. Snow White needs to pay for what she has done, and this curse will do that for me. It will rip away her happiness with her charming prince and finally give me my revenge. I know you have it and I am more than willing to make a deal with you for it."_

_He stepped back from the bars and walked in several small circles before he returned and faced her. She watched him intently as she waited for his response. His gold skin glimmered as the light from the single torch hit his face, his eyes dark and unpredictable. The two locked eyes for a moment before he shook his head._

"_No," he said simply._

_She stood there for a moment shocked. She had expected him to be difficult, but hadn't expected him to reject her so quickly. Before she could protest he began to explain._

"_You want the curse so you can rip Snow White and her prince apart and forever ruin their happiness with each other, but you can't. Not with this curse or any other," he explained._

_Regina found her voice and demanded more, "Why the hell not?"_

"_This curse is the most powerful curse that exists, but it is limited by the person that plans to cast it, and those two have had something you never have, true love," he said._

"_I have had true love," she protested. "Daniel was my true love."_

"_You two may have loved one another, but your soul is much too dark to have ever experienced something so pure. Since you never experienced it, you can't possibly tear it apart," He let out a wild laugh as he watched her disbelief and anger begin to rise. "Now, you have two options. One: go and find your lion-hearted true love that's still out there and forget Daniel, or Two: still enact the curse and cause Snow a different type of heart break."_

_She refused to believe that what she and Daniel had was not true love and she made up her mind instantly, "How will Snow's happiness be destroyed?"_

"_Oh I do love a good revenge plot," Rumpel said as he rubbed his hands together and broke out into a large smile. "You see Snow did rip away someone you loved, so you can do the same. And if I'm right, which I always am, their family will soon be expanding."_

"_Wonderful, it will probably end up a hopeless optimistic like its parents, but ripping them from their child is an acceptable consolation prize. Just tell me where the curse is and I'll be on my way. Let you get back to rotting away down here," she sneered._

"_Well you are certainly in a hurry for a curse that cannot be cast for another three years or so," he said._

"_And why is that?" she asked, the complications of the curse had started to grind on her nerves and was evident in her tone._

"_You seem to forget that the curse depends on the one who casts it. You had time with Daniel, your so-called "true love". What, about two and a half years with him?" Regina gave him a small nod and he continued. "That is the amount of time you must give them with their precious child, although I hear the two's can be quite terrible. They may want to get rid of it by then, in which case you may be doing them a favor," he said, a bit of humor to the last part of his statement. She simply rolled her eyes._

"_And the final part to the curse is the most important," he continued. "You must insure that the child has a happy ending, a happy life. If at any point in their life do they deeply believe they may not find true happiness again, your curse will begin to unravel. Your revengeful happiness depends on their happy ending."_

_Why bother enacting this blasted curse with all it's conditions, she thought. Her focus shifted back to Snow White. She didn't care if her child had a good life, so long as hers was miserable, and she intended it to be._

"_Fine, name your price for the curse." She understood all magic came with a price, and expected his to be steep._

"_I simply want an old, tattered, leather book to be in my possession when we arrive wherever it is you are taking us, and I want to know the child's name before you cast the curse."_

"_That's it," she replied skeptically. "That's all you want, a book and a name."_

"_That's all. Now do we have a deal?" he asked, a small hyena like laugh escaped his lips._

_If possible her eyes grew darker and a cold smiled stretched across her face. The moment had finally arrived. She was a single word away from her deepest desire and darkest wish. A single word would finally set her revenge in motion. A single word would take away all of Snow's happiness._

"_Deal."_


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: You are all amazing readers, thank you for all your reviews/follows/favorites. When I started this I never imagined a response like this. I hope you enjoy this family chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. (No flashback this chapter) Happy reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT

* * *

David was met with a "five minutes more", a groan, and a simple toss with a back turn. One thing was for sure; on school days the Swan kids were not morning people. He stood in the upstairs hallway perplexed as to how to proceed with the situation. He had volunteered to get the kids up because of their early Saturday morning a couple of days prior, but apparently that eagerness didn't carry over to Mondays. He decided to give them five minutes and try again.

Her back was faced to the entryway of the kitchen but she could hear the shuffled footsteps stop just inside the kitchen. She finished cutting up the last of the strawberries and reached for a bowl to place them in. While she put the fruit in the container she explained the spread of food to who she assumed was one of the kids.

"Alright looks like early bird gets the worm. We have some bagels and cream cheese and some fresh fruit, so dig right in…" she trailed off as she turned around to see that the footsteps had belonged to David. Mary Margaret gave him a smile before she leaned to peek around him to look for any sign of the kids.

"Hi. Where are the kids? We need to get going soon and I'm not letting them leave with out eating breakfast," she said as she wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to the table to look for her car keys.

"They aren't quite ready yet," he replied as he made his way to the bowl of strawberries. His stomach approved of the action with a loud grumble.

She stopped shuffling around the bills on the table and put her search on hold as she looked up at him.

"They aren't ready yet as in the still need their jackets on, or they aren't ready yet as in one won't come out of the bathroom, one has lost a shoe, and the last one has their shirt on backwards?" she asked, hoping for something along the line of the former.

"As in they aren't out of bed yet," he stated. She looked up at the clock and then back to him as he tried to recover. "They aren't the bright-eyed kids from Saturday morning. It's like their little bodies know they have to go to school and refuse to get up. I decided to give them five more minutes."

He shot her a warm smile and she couldn't help but let some of the frustration she held towards him melt away. She walked over to him and placed a soft peck on his lips.

"I love that you're so kind to them, but David, may the heavens help you if those three aren't down here in the next five minutes," she playfully scolded.

David placed a kiss on her forehead and grabbed one more strawberry before he quickly turned around to head back upstairs. He knew that although she was petite in size, her wrath could be like no other, and he didn't want to earn himself another scar like the one on his chin.

When he got upstairs he was pleasantly surprised to see Noah's door open and the bathroom door closed with the light on. He heard rustling coming from Emma's room as well and knew she was up too. The final kid was Kate.

David gently opened Kate's door and could see her tiny figure still bundled under the covers. He walked across the room and pulled back the blankets. Her light brown hair was a mess across her face and he pushed it out of the way as he began to wake her up.

"Kate, time to get up," he spoke softly. She groggily shook her head as her eyes slowly opened. He let out a small laugh, "Even princesses have to go to school." His second attempt got her to sit up in the bed and she balled her fists to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Mary Margaret had set out an outfit for Kate the night before and David picked it up and held it up to show her. It was a pair of black pants with a white ruffled t-shirt. She immediately scrunched her face and shook her head.

"Looks like you're not a fan," he said as she shook her head again. "Well we're running a little bit late, so how about you wear this today and tomorrow you can pick something out yourself."

Emma and Noah both peeked their heads through the door as David attempted to get Kate to agree to the outfit. They both tried to hold back their smiles, as they knew how stubborn Kate could be in the morning. David caught their movement out of the corner of his eye as Emma stepped forward to offer help.

"I can get her dressed if you want. I'm pretty good at getting her to cooperate," she offered.

"Good morning. Don't you two look nice for your first day," he replied. "I think we will be fine. Mary Margaret has breakfast ready for you two downstairs, so why don't you go on down and we'll be right behind you in just a minute."

Noah and Emma each shot one another a look and headed downstairs. Both knew the exact outfit she would end up wearing, her favorite light pink pants with a pink tutu and her pale yellow flower shirt. It was her favorite outfit.

Mary Margaret took her last sip of coffee and Emma and Noah placed their empty plates in the sink just as David entered the kitchen, a small grin on his face. They could hear soft thumps coming from the hall as Kate jumped down each step.

"Before you say anything, know that the outfit was a compromise," David said quickly as Kate entered the kitchen.

Mary Margaret smiled as she took in Kate's attire. Emma and Noah were both a bit surprised to see that David had managed to get her to compromise. She had on her expected pink pants and tutu, but wore the white shirt originally picked out for her. David had even managed to tame her hair into pigtails.

Kate crawled into a chair at the table and Mary Margaret made her a small plate of food. "You look just like a ballerina," she said as Kate took her first bite. Kate shook her head and looked to David.

"Oh no, Kate is a princess," he corrected, which earned an eager nod from Kate and wide smiles from Emma and Noah.

"My apologies your majesty," Mary Margaret played along.

The rest of breakfast was rushed. Backpacks were packed and placed by the door, Mary Margaret finished making all their lunches, and jackets were finally found. The five of them filed out of the door, surprisingly more on time than any of them would have thought at the start of the morning. David split off from them and headed to his truck while the rest of them made their way to Mary Margaret's station wagon. Noah had already started to climb into the car when Mary Margaret stopped them all.

"Wait, we need a picture of you three on your first day of school here. Come on out of the car," she said as she gestured for them to get together. "Right there in front of the tree."

David walked over to Mary Margaret's side while Noah got back out of the car and huddled together with Emma and Kate.

"Mary Margaret this is actually going to make us late," Emma said as she watched Mary Margaret search through her purse for the camera.

"Well you three are new, we can blame it on getting lost in the hallways while looking for your classrooms," she replied as she triumphantly pulled the camera from her purse.

"But you work there," Emma stated, an unconvinced look spread on her face.

"Then we can say there was bad traffic," she said.

This time David looked down at her, his eyebrows raised and a small grin appeared on his face as if to say "Really?" She saw his expression and gave him a light nudge in the ribs.

"I'll come up with something, but I am not missing this opportunity," she replied. "So, everyone smile."

They all did and she snapped a few photos, she even convinced them to all do a funny face in one. After the memory had been captured everyone hopped in the car, Mary Margaret reminded David one more time to pick Kate up at noon, and they were all off.

When they pulled up to the school Emma jumped out of the car and took everything in. The building seemed large to her for the number of kids she saw going inside. As she glanced over the off-white exterior she realized she was trembling from nerves. They had never moved before. She had gone to the same school with the same friends her whole life, and this was all new. She had tried to look excited through breakfast and on the way there, but all she felt was nervous and unsure.

Those feelings dissipated almost immediately when she felt a soft hand upon her shoulder and looked up to see it belonged to Mary Margaret. Her warm smile and gentle squeeze of her hand on Emma's shoulder sent a wave of comfort through Emma and she instantly calmed. Emma shot a small smile back at her and the two shared the quiet moment before the bell rang.

"Come on, let's get inside," Mary Margaret said as she ushered them to the front door and up the steps.

Once inside Mary Margaret dropped Kate off at the morning kindergarten class and showed Emma to her classroom in the upper grade wing. Noah followed Mary Margaret to her classroom as he was her newest student, and once they settled in the day went on like any normal school day.

Lunch became the small highlight of the day for Emma, because while she had made a few friends and enjoyed the silent reading time in class, what she found packed in her lunch was something her own mom would have done. Tucked at the bottom of her lunch was a small note that brought a smile to her face and a few tears to her eyes.

Have a great first day of school!

-Love,

Mary Margaret and David

She quickly wiped away the single tear that slid down her cheek and read over the note one more time before she gently folded it back up and put it in her pocket for safe keeping.

The final bell of the day rang, signaling school was finished for the day, and the halls became flooded with students anxious to get home. Emma joined the swarm and moved with the flow of traffic to the planned meeting place of Mary Margaret's classroom. As she passed through the halls, her attention was grabbed by the open door that lead to what seemed like a computer lab. She read the sign posted just next to the door that showed they were open before and after school and during lunch.

Her mind brought up questions she had managed to suppress the last few days, and she viewed the lab as a possibility to get a few answers to some of them. Someone passing in the hall bumped her and only then did she realize she had stopped right in the middle of everyone. She attempted to get closer to the door when she heard her name shouted out from a little way down the hall.

"Emma, Emma," Noah called out, both of his arms waved in the air to grab her attention. "Come on, let's go."

She glanced over to the room one last time before she turned into the flow of traffic. She needed a plan. She needed a place to begin, a launching point, so she could figure out where her story actually began.

Emma managed to weave her way through the mass of students and greeted Noah with a simple "Hi" before he excitedly went off on telling her all his stories of the day. They waited in the hallway and Mary Margaret soon joined them, both her hands filled with tote bags of notes and papers. Noah promptly took the lighter bag from her, with no pause in his lengthy explanation of the story he read aloud in class, and the three left the building to head home.

They were just getting out of the car when David and Kate pulled into the driveway. David got out and helped Kate out of the truck. The little girl raced over to Mary Margaret and eagerly held out her hand to show the gift she had made her. Mary Margaret knelt down and took the necklace made of macaroni and red yarn from Kate.

"Is this for me?" Mary Margaret asked. Kate nodded, a wide smile across her face. "Well thank you, I love it. I'll always wear it." As Mary Margaret put the necklace on, Kate gave her a quick hug before she ran over to Emma and Noah and started to show them more of the arts and crafts she had done. Mary Margaret wished the contact of the hug had lasted a little longer but loved the fact that the three were so close to each other.

David walked over to Mary Margaret as she stood up and placed his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his chest. The three kids had made their way to the steps of the porch and sat down as Emma and Noah shared more of their day with each other, Kate happy to listen to everything they described.

As Mary Margaret watched them and fiddled with her macaroni necklace she thought about how much more full her life was from a week ago. These three had started to fill a void she thought would forever be empty.

Instead of coming up with tedious teaching plans, like she did everyday after school, she would get to help with homework. Instead of tidying the kitchen, she could use it to make them a snack before dinner. She normally occupied her first few minutes home with busy work but instead she took in the details of each kid. The way Emma's nose scrunched when she laughed, how Noah used his hands to talk when he got excited, the soft humming noise Kate made when she was really happy.

David looked down at his wife and her warm, green eyes told him how happy she was.

"Turned out to be a good day given the rushed start," he said, breaking the silence between them.

She took her head off his chest and looked up at him before she turned her gaze back to the scene on the porch. His arm moved off her shoulder and he took her hand in his. They began to walk towards the porch when she replied.

"Turned out to be a great day."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Hi everyone so sorry for the delay. When I started this I told myself I wouldn't go longer than two weeks without an update and yet here we are, but I'm excusing myself this time because I've been on a two and a half week trip to Ireland (it was AMAZING!). Anyway here it is and it may seem a bit redundant but I think of it as a launching point to moving on and getting on with the rest of the story. If you'd like to leave a review that'd be awesome. And feel free to leave a question/suggestion/request, you guys don't know how much you've already influenced this story. Happy reading!

* * *

_A few weeks prior_

_She was supposed to be asleep. She had even pretended to be when Ms. Galloway, their next door neighbor, had gone to check on her. Instead, she lied awake in bed and listened. Emma strained her ears to try and pick up the sound of car tires in the driveway that would signal her parents were back, but it was difficult through the pounding of the rain and the occasional clap of thunder._

_She glanced over to the clock on the table, it read 11:07 pm, and she thought it was odd they weren't back from dinner yet. They went out every so often and Emma always looked forward to their nights out. They always enlisted Ms. Galloway as the baby sitter and Emma loved that she let her stay up a little past bed time and enjoyed all the crazy stories she told about her past. She could always count on them to bring back some dessert for her as well._

_That's why she was still up. They had promised to bring back some chocolate cake from the fancy restaurant where they had eaten, and if she stayed up they usually let her take a few bites._

_As thoughts of the treat ran through her head she heard it, the rolling of wet car tires on the pavement of the driveway. Her eyes got a little bigger and a smile swept across her face, but her excitement soon turned to confusion as she heard another set of tires roll up as well._

_She sat up in her bed and waited to hear the front door open and her parents' familiar jumbled voices fill the front entry way. Instead a firm knock was all that came. Emma scrambled out of bed and quietly made her way to the banister that overlooked the entryway, her head the only thing peeking_ around the wall.

_Her heart started to beat faster as she saw the knocks had come from two policemen that stood on the porch. Then it sank. She couldn't hear what was being said, they spoke too quietly, but she watched as Ms. Galloway's hand flew to her mouth and she doubled over._

_Tears began to fill her eyes as she got the feeling something was terribly wrong, worst case scenarios began to fill her mind. She shook her head over and over, silently pleading her gut feeling was wrong, as if the motion would erase everything happening before her._

_Her movement caught the attention of one of the policemen and as she locked eyes with him she knew. The sympathy in his eyes overwhelmed her. Every sense began to_ _fade until she was completely numb. In that moment her life shattered. The happiness she had been so familiar with her whole life was gone, and left in its place a void she was unsure would ever be filled._

_It had disappeared so suddenly, as if by magic_.

* * *

In the weeks that passed since the first day of school they had grown more comfortable with each other, only the occasional bout of uncertainty when a new situation would arise. They had also each fallen into a routine.

Mary Margaret had become the morning chef and chauffeur, making breakfast, packing lunches, and getting the kids to school. She taught her class each day with a bit more joy than before and always volunteered for yard duty so she could see more of Emma and Kate during the day. She spent her lunches grading and planning so her full attention could be given to helping with homework and having fun once they were all home. Emma always met her and Noah in her classroom and the three headed home, where days were shared, homework was done, and dinner was had.

David had become in charge of getting Emma, Noah, and Kate up each morning, and had learned the tricks to making sure each one was up on time. He went to work at the animal shelter and when there weren't any matters that needed his immediate attention, he used the computer to see if he could find anything on Emma's past. Noon was his favorite part of the day. He was always greeted by a large smile and even bigger hug when he picked Kate up from school. The two went back to the shelter, where David had become very good at carrying on conversations using "yes" and "no" questions, and at closing time they headed home for the night. Once home he would make dinner and he cherished the small moments they had with each other.

Noah and Kate, though they both hated getting up in the morning, enjoyed going to school. Kate kept to herself, often preferring to do activities alone, while Noah had become one of the most popular boys in his class. At noon Kate always raced to the front of the school and into David's waiting arms, while Noah raced to the cafeteria for lunch. He spent the rest of the day in class with Mary Margaret and Kate played with the animals at the shelter. Once home the both were always excited to share their days, Noah through his never ending stories and chatter, and Kate by her expressions and eyes when she was asked questions. Night came too soon for Noah, as he tended to stall when getting ready, and couldn't come soon enough for Kate, as she always looked forward to the stories Mary Margaret told her about princes and princesses. Both tended to doze off before their official bedtime even arrived.

Emma had her own secret routine she kept to as well. She went to school and paid attention in class like everyone else, but at least twice a week she spent her lunch in the computer lab of the school searching. Everyday though seemed like a futile effort. No matter how many times she tried a different search or re-read the articles about her abandonment, she couldn't find very much new information.

She had found that there were 6 Emma Swans in the area, but none of them were her. There were people she could hire to discover more but that required money, and she wasn't ready to ask Mary Margaret and David for help yet. So she continued looking by herself, going off of anything she could think of.

When school was finished for the day she would make her way to Mary Margaret's room and help her straighten up her classroom. She used that time to tell Mary Margaret about her day, knowing her brother would talk the entire car ride about his. Once home, she would get all her homework done quickly so she could help David with dinner, and when it was time for bed she would read until lights out.

The day had been like any other except the weather, clouds covered the sky the entire day and a storm had rolled in late in the evening.

Their bedroom lit up for a brief moment, every detail illuminated before they were plunged back into darkness. A short pause was followed by a loud grumble from the sky. As the noise faded only the sound of the rain pelting the window could be heard. Everything, and everyone, else was silent. And although it was the middle of the night, the silence seemed out of place

Both Mary Margaret and David lay in their bed, eyes wide open and fixed to the ceiling. The two quietly concentrated as they tried to sift through the background noise. They waited and listened, ears strained for the smallest sound of a creak of a door or the shuffle of feet in the hall.

It was the first major storm since Emma, Noah, and Kate had moved in, and the couple wasn't entirely sure of what to expect. They weren't sure if the three were able to sleep through the harsh weather or if the thunder had woken them up. They were equally unsure that if it did wake them up, were they scared of it or could they brush the noise off. So they both lay there and listened, both consumed by there own thoughts.

"Do you think we should check on them?" Mary Margaret asked. "I mean it's strange we haven't heard any of them up, right?"

"I don't know. They can be awfully tough to wake up in the morning, so they might just be sleeping through all of it," David replied.

Another burst of light came from outside and a large boom shook the sky.

"Nobody just sleeps through this David," she said as she glanced over to their closed door.

He could see her visible concern and tried to ease her mind. "Well, if the storm did wake them up, we probably just didn't hear them, and I'll bet they are all huddled on Emma's bed again."

She turned her head toward him and gave him a small smile for his effort. He could tell that his explanation had done little to ease her mind and knew the only way to fully do so was for them to make sure the three of them were still asleep.

"You want to go check on them don't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Mary Margaret nodded, and as dark as it was in the room he could see her eyes glimmer at the thought of seeing the kids. They tossed off the covers, turned on the bedside lamp, swung their legs over the edge of the bed, and just as their feet hit the floor they both froze.

A small creak came from the door as it ever so slowly began to inch its way open. Mary Margaret and David's eyes shot over and they watched as small fingers began to wrap around the edge of it, followed by a pair of brown eyes that peeked from behind.

They both stayed where they were on the bed and offered Kate warm smiles as she gently clung to the open door.

"Hey honey, did the thunder wake you up?" Mary Margaret asked.

Kate nodded, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Would you like to stay in here with us tonight?"

She nodded again and Mary Margaret waved her over. As she began to walk across the room another loud crack of thunder broke free from the sky and Kate quickly scampered the rest of the way to Mary Margaret's outstretched arms.

She swiftly scooped Kate up and placed her in the middle of the bed.

"Quick, quick under the covers," Mary Margaret said as they wrestled with the bedding. David watched as the two managed to pull the covers up to their chins and Kate nestled into Mary Margaret's side.

He stood up from his place on the bed and as he made is way over to the door he glanced over his shoulder and saw that Kate had already begun to doze off in his wife's arms. Mary Margaret continued to run her fingers through Kate's hair and looked up as David motioned towards the hallway.

"I'll go check on Noah and Emma," he whispered.

"Thank you."

He softly shut the door behind him and made his way down to Noah's room. He stepped inside and looked over to the bed, the soccer ball night light gave off just enough glow that he could make out Noah's sprawled out, but sleeping, figure on the bed. His blankets were thrown off on the ground. David reached down and picked them up and draped them back over Noah before he headed back out into the hall. As he shut the door he took one more glance at the bed and couldn't help but laugh to see the blankets had been kicked off again.

"Apparently someone can sleep through this," he joked to himself.

He made his way down to the end of the hall and opened the door to Emma's room and peered inside. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he made out her figure under the many blankets on her bed. David glanced around the rest of her room, his eyes jumped from object to object before his gaze rested on Emma once again, and he couldn't shake the sense of familiarity that washed over him. He knew everything had changed, it was all different, but in that moment it felt as if nothing had, like he had watched her sleep many times before.

David took a deep breath in as unexpected tears flooded his eyes and he stepped back into the hall, pulling the door shut with him as he wiped his eyes. Just as the door was about to close he heard a small sniffle come from under the mound of covers. He stopped where he was, unsure if he actually heard something or if it was just the howling wind from the storm outside.

He cracked the door open again and watched as Emma shifted under the covers, a louder sob soon followed. David quickly walked over to the bed wanting to comfort her as soon as possible.

"Emma?" he whispered.

He could see her immediately tense under the covers at the sound of his voice and she tried to stifle another sob, but it snuck by her best efforts. He waited near her bed and soon Emma's fingers had wrapped around the edge of the blanket and pulled it down off of her face.

David's face fell when he saw her eyes. They were red from crying and her cheeks were stained from the many tears that had fallen across them. What he noticed most though was how wide her eyes were and the numerous emotions that seemed to swim in them. Fear, frustration, uncertainty, and the most heart breaking was the overwhelming amount of sadness in them.

He sat on the edge of her bed and brushed her cheeks with his finger, wiping away any left over tears that rested on them. The two remained quiet like that for a little while, a mutual understanding that what they needed was the other's company and the shared silence between them. Another strike of lightning and boom of thunder broke the silence and Emma took the moment to speak up.

"They died in a storm like this," her voice threatening to break with each word until it finally did and the tears began to fill her eyes again. "I miss them…so…much."

"Oh sweetheart I know, and I would do anything to bring them back. But you should know that they will always be looking out for you, guiding you to where you're meant to be," David replied, his voice tender and warm.

"It doesn't seem that way. All I feel is lost and I just want to know why. Why didn't they tell me?"

David looked down to his lap as he realized where her frustration and uncertainty stemmed from. Though she hadn't asked him or Mary Margaret for help, he figured she had been looking into her past, and from her question he assumed she hadn't found much.

"I don't know why, I can't answer that for them," he said as his gaze shifted back up to Emma. "But I'm sure they had their reasons."

He knew the vague answer wasn't what she wanted, he wasn't satisfied with it either, but he honestly had no idea why her parents would have kept that from her.

"I would have loved them the same. I mean if they told me, it wouldn't have changed how I felt about them. Do you think they knew that?" Her voice had steadied and though her tears had stopped falling, her eyes were still glassy as she stared right into David's.

"I'm sure they knew that," he reassured her. "It's just sometimes parents get scared of things too, usually not from the dark or a loud thunderstorm, but they do. Maybe they were afraid and as time went on telling the truth became scarier and scarier."

She nodded her head at the answer and David could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to make sense of everything. He wished he could give her more than just words for comfort. He wished he could give her real answers. He wished he could find the key that would open her past but also give her closure.

"David?" asked Emma, trying to regain his attention.

"Yeah," he replied. He looked back at her quickly and shook his head when he realized he had been gazing out the window over her bed, lost in his thoughts.

"What are you afraid of?" she asked.

He sat there stunned for a moment as a flood of emotions rushed over him. How could such a simple and innocent question have such a difficult and heavy answer? What was he afraid of? There were some little things, the way his wife drove sometimes or a new drink Leroy had concocted, but his greatest fear had already become a reality. He had lost a piece of his family, a part of his soul and he was afraid of losing more. Afraid of losing Mary Margaret. Afraid of losing Emma, Noah, and Kate. He was afraid that everything they had over the past few weeks would be ripped away from him. That his family would be broken apart like it had been once before.

He cleared his throat and looked into Emma's bright green eyes. They seemed to pierce right through him and he diverted his gaze as he smoothed the blanket and stood as he answered.

"I'm afraid that if you don't get back to sleep right now you won't wake up on time tomorrow morning," he said. He pulled her covers back up to her chin and tucked her in before he shot her a smile.

Emma nodded and smiled back, aware he had avoided the question, but snuggled into the pillow. Her movements suggested that she was getting ready to doze off but David could tell her mind was still thinking about the earlier parts of their conversation.

"You'll find them you know," he said. "Your other parents and all answers you're looking for. You'll find them. I have faith. And if you're ever discouraged or frustrated there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

Emma let out a little giggle and David was thrown off by her reaction to his piece of advice.

"What?" he asked.

"Nice try, but Winnie the Pooh is one of Kate's favorites."

She had caught him and he let out a soft laugh to join in with her continued giggling.

"Well it doesn't make it any less true. Now, time to fall back asleep," he said. As Emma closed her eyes he turned around and made his way to the door but stopped when he heard his name.

"David?"

"Yeah," he replied as he turned to face her.

"Will you stay with me until I fall back asleep?" Emma asked.

"Of course I will," he said, a grin spread across his face as he sat back down on the edge of the bed. He tucked a stray curl behind Emma's ear as she closed her eyes and began to doze off, and just for his amusement he began to hum the theme of Winnie the Pooh.

Emma's breathing became soft and regular, and David knew that she had finally fallen asleep, had finally escaped the chaos and questions for peaceful dreams.

He watched her sleep a few minutes more and as he did the same questions that plagued Emma crept into his mind as well. Of course he wanted to know why her parents hadn't told her everything, but he really wanted to know how someone could abandon the amazing girl in front of him. How two sets of parents, albeit on different levels, could betray her?

He was upset with them, but as he got up and left the room he silently thanked them. All their decisions and choices had brought her, and Noah and Kate, into his life and he couldn't imagine it any other way.

* * *

_Ten years earlier_

_"What do you mean we can't tell her?" he asked, his voice a mixture of confusion and astonishment._

_Regina held back most of her frustration, but a small sigh of annoyance escaped her lips. It was always this stage in the process that tripped everyone up. That little detail that no one seemed to want to comply with, the one detail she needed to make sure they would._

_She had already gone through this two times before. Two families had fallen for the articles about her appearance, fallen for her smile and laugh, fallen for her big green eyes, but those two same families couldn't get past that small condition of the adoption._

_She needed to convince this couple it was a positive thing. She needed to get this pest off of her hands. She could feel the curse teetering, feel some of the façade beginning to fade away, and she knew the only way to keep it enacted was to find her some parents._

_Gold had set up the meetings and interviews with this couple, and although she didn't trust his motives she was fed up with searching for families only to be turned down at the very end. She was done exerting extra effort to find her a home. These people were going to be her parents, she would make sure of it._

_"Precisely that," she answered. "You can raise her however you please, put her in whatever clubs or activities, enroll her in the school of your choice, the only thing you cannot do is tell her she's adopted. It's much better that way. As far as she knows, she has always been yours and you have always been hers."_

_"Why?" the young woman asked. "What's the harm?"_

_Regina plastered her best smile on before she answered. "You two are her best chance. There is no happiness down a path where she realizes she was abandoned. She won't ever find her parents even if she knows and from the way they left her, they clearly don't want to be found. Trust me, this is for her best interests."_

_She watched as the two looked over at one another and she could see the unconvinced looks on their faces begin to change in her favor, but she wanted to ensure that they would agree to everything, that they would comply._

_"This is the best thing for her but for you two as well. Not only will you get the love of a child for the rest of your lives, but the benefit of monetary gain so long as you don't tell her anything about the adoption," Regina added._

_She watched their eyes go wide._

_"Are you bribing us?"_

_"No, no of course not. Look at it more as an insurance policy. Something to ease the financial strain so you can really focus your time and attention on her."_

_The two began to nod to themselves as they took a few minutes and considered the new addition to the adoption, and as they looked at each other the two knew they had reached the same answer._

_"Alright," Mr. Swan said. "Where do we sign?"_

_Regina promptly pulled out the papers Gold had drafted and began to direct them where to sign. As she watched the pen imprint their signatures on the document, the corners of her lips curled slightly into a menacing smile. The three rose from the table once everything was complete and exchanged the usual pleasantries and handshake before the Swans escorted Regina to the door. Just before she reached the door the smug look on her face was wiped away and replaced by a cold and serious one._

_"What if we decide we want to tell her later on? How will you honestly know if we have or haven't?" Mrs. Swan asked_

_Regina turned around slowly and made eye contact with each of them. She watched them slightly shudder at the stony glare she gave both of them._

_"Trust me I have my ways of knowing," Regina said, her voice disturbingly calm. "And I have a feeling you'll stick to the terms of our agreement because I know you both have some things buried in your past that you'd like to keep there, and it would be awfully damaging if they were dug up."_

_With that she turned and shut the door behind her, knowing she wouldn't have to worry about the curse breaking anytime in the future._


End file.
